The Billionaire’s Contract Bride

Vera’s POV:

I pushed the front door open with a fluttering heart and a grin on my face.

Today was our anniversary, and I was sure Evan had planned a surprise party for me. He had tried to hide it, but over the past few weeks, I had seen him sneaking off to take calls, and watched him meet with event planners.

Today made it three years with Evan Crentford – my fiancée, the man I loved with all my heart and who claims he could not live without me.

I had practically floated home, already imagining walking through the door with a huge bouquet of flowers and a wide smile.

I took a step into the dark home, and…

POP!

The light turned on instantly, and at the same time, a shower of gold and silver ribbons exploded in my face.

I took a deep breath, and gasped.

Stumbling back as the cascade of paper and glitter rained on me. For a very brief moment, I was filled with nothing else but joy.

Evan remembered our anniversary. I thought with a smile on my face

I chuckled, brushed some confetti out of my hair and blinked as I took multiple steps inside.

“Evan -” I breathed, smiling as my vision cleared. “Oh my god, you – ”

A collective gasp snapped me out of my thoughts,

“Ugh, wait, who is she?”

“What is she doing here?”

“My god, did we just waste the confetti for a random woman?”

“Somebody get her out of the home, she just ruined the surprise.”

My heart beat faltered, and the wide grin on my face froze.

My vision cleared, and I stopped breathing because there were at least fifteen people standing in front of me.

Most of whom I had never seen before. Were these Evan friends?

And why were they staring at me as if I was an intruder in my own home?

My stomach twisted, as I stared at my fiancée in disbelief, “What’s happening, Evan?” I asked, my voice filled with confusion,

Before he could answer, a tall blonde woman stepped up to his side and screamed at me, “Who the hell are you?”

My stomach twisted. “I—I’m Vera, Evan’s fiancée,”

The room went silent, then, everyone burst into laughter.

“Oh my God, you are joking right?” one gasped,

“Fiancée, How?”

“Why would Evan go from Lyra to you?”

Heat spread through my face, my fingers curled into fists as I stared down at the man I loved.

His gaze widened as he spotted me,

“Vera?” he gasped, “What are you doing here? You are supposed to be at the office, aren’t you?”

My mouth fell open as I stared at him in disbelief, “It’s our anniversary, Evan. What do you mean by what am I doing here?”

Silence, then, confusion as Evan glanced down at his watch, his mind racing as he struggled to recall the date of our anniversary.

He blinked rapidly, then looked around him before his gaze snapped back towards me.

The ribbons that filled the ground stared at me as if mocking me.

“This— ” I pointed out, “- is for me, right?”

Someone snorted, another chuckled,

“For you? Girl, no one knows who you are.” The same blond girl hissed, “This is Lyra’s surprise birthday party.”

I felt the floor fall beneath me.

That was a name I actually recognized

Lyra, his ex.

The girl that had broken his heart years before, the girl that he swore to me, he now hates.

He remembered her birthday, but couldn’t remember our anniversary?

My voice trembled, “Evan…” I whispered, looking down as tears threatened to prickle through my eyes, “You forgot, didn’t you?”

He flinched, then looked down. The guilt I could spot in his gaze was unmistakable. He actually did forget about me and us.

“Vera, I got caught up, okay?” he whispered, “Lyra is currently going through a lot and I just wanted to do something nice to cheer her up. I had no idea you were going to come home early,”

My breath left me completely, and I had to clench my fists tighter not to fall on my knees.

The humiliation of what he had just said, hit me like a punch to the face.

He was shooing me away.

He was pushing his fiancée out as though I was nothing more than an inconvenience to him.

“I am your fiancée, Evan,” I whispered, barely holding my emotion together as my body began to tremble, “I should be your number one priority, always.”

He winced, “I—I know Vera, just give me a moment, once I’m done with Lyra’s party, we can go for our own private dinner.”

My eyes stung, but I stood my ground. I wasn’t going to step aside for another woman, especially one that was an ex. I felt myself shrinking as I was stared down by over a dozen people, but I wasn’t going to back down.

Evan swallowed, his gaze filled with guilt.

“Vera,” he reached into his pockets and pulled out a small wrapped box, his voice softened as he stared at me, “I had our rings engraved,” he said as he began to open the box, “I did not give you the rings earlier because I wanted to do this in a private moment, the right way.”

He opened the box, and I stared bright-eyed at the beautiful ring he had proposed to me with. Evan had asked for mine earlier in the month, and I had given it to him, already suspecting he was going to do something like this.

My breath caught as he stepped forward and warmly smiled at me.

Before I could blink, he took my hand in his warm familiar grip, and slowly began to push the ring up my fingers.

Warm emotions swelled in my chest and I felt loved once again. I glanced up at him, my lips parting as I spoke up.

“Evan..”

He looked at me with soft eyes, still slowly pushing the rings up my finger, “I promise I’ll make it up to you,”

I opened my lips, and stopped.

Because his phone was ringing.

It was loud and urgent.

Evan froze, he glanced down to reject the call, but froze the moment he saw the name on the caller ID.

I looked down and spotted it too. Lyra.

I watched the blood drain from his face as he quickly picked the call, forgetting me.

“Evan…” her loud, shrill voice filled the room, “Please help me, I’m being attacked – please!”

He didn’t hesitate, my fiancée didn’t even think.

“Lyra,” he screamed back, “I’m coming,”

And in one swift motion, without even realizing that he was still holding my hand, he tore the ring off my finger.

Ripped it off, as though it meant nothing.

Then, without looking at me, he turned around and bolted out of the open door.

“Wait – Evan!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

But he was gone, and just like that, my fiancée was running towards another woman.